The Illegitimate Heirs: Caleb, Nick & Hunter: Engagement between Enemies

Six

Opening the wrought-iron gate, Caleb wondered what was going through Alyssa’s pretty little head as he led her across the courtyard to the front door. The farther out of the city they’d driven, the more silent and speculative she’d become.

“If you’re worried about the sleeping arrangements, don’t,” he said when they entered the house. He set her small case down to punch the deactivation code into the security system. “There are three extra bedrooms. You can take your pick.”

“I really hadn’t given where I’d be sleeping much thought.” When he turned to face her, she gave him a sheepish grin. “I’ve been mentally calculating how much stucco homes cost and what the investment potential in real estate is on this side of the Sandia Mountains. I would think that the equity would build quickly since this area seems to be growing pretty fast.”

He chuckled as he picked up her overnight case. “Once an accountant, always an accountant, huh?”

“Something like that.” She gave him an odd look. “With your background in business, wasn’t it something you considered when you moved here?”

“Not really.” He wasn’t about to tell her that the house had been given to him when he’d accepted Emerald’s offer to take over the firm or that his background in business started two weeks ago when he’d walked through Skerritt and Crowe’s front doors. “I was more interested in the fact that it’s fairly secluded and has several acres of land.”

She seemed to accept his explanation and, breathing a little easier, he followed her into the great room. But his heart damned near hammered a hole clean through his rib cage when she stopped to stare at a portrait of a middle-aged Emerald Larson and her infamous playboy son, Owen—Caleb’s late father.

“Are they your relatives?” she asked, smiling.

The picture was at least twenty-five years old and it was apparent that Alyssa hadn’t recognized the pair. Hopefully, she wouldn’t.

“That’s my grandmother and father,” he said cautiously.

Gazing at him a moment, she nodded. “There’s a strong family resemblance.”

He placed his hand at the small of her back to usher her toward the bedrooms before she had a chance to study the picture closer and figure out who they all were. He hadn’t lied to her thus far and he wasn’t about to start now. If she’d recognized the Larsons, he’d have admitted to being one of the heirs to the Emerald, Inc. conglomerate. But she hadn’t. And although omission of the facts was something he wasn’t proud of and continued to struggle with, being outright dishonest was out of the question. It just wasn’t his style.

“Feel free to check out the other two bedrooms, then decide which one you want,” he said, opening the door to the room closest to his. The room had been done in yellow and green and looked a little more feminine than the other two bedrooms. “They all have their own private bathroom, but this one is the only one besides the master suite that has a sitting area.”

“This is fine,” she said, glancing around. She walked over to the French doors on the opposite side of the room to look out at the patio and pool. “It’s a lovely area and your home is beautiful, Caleb. You must love living up here.”

“Thanks.” He set her bag on the end of the bed, then walked over to stand behind her. “The terrain is a lot different here than in Tennessee, but I’m getting used to it.” He didn’t tell her that it was a far cry from the humble farmhouse he’d grown up in or that he was having a hard time thinking of it as his, even though it had been signed over to him when he’d accepted Emerald’s offer.

“I’d like to hear about where you used to live,” she said, sounding wistful. “I’ve never been east of the Mississippi, but I’ve heard the southern states are quite beautiful.”

“They are. Back home when I look at the mountains, I’m used to seeing them covered with trees, and everything is green. Here it’s just as pretty, but in a different way. There aren’t as many trees and everything is shades of tan, brown or orange.” Without thinking, he slipped his arms around her waist and drew her back against him. “I’ll have to take you to see the eastern mountains sometime.”

He heard her soft intake of breath a moment before she turned to face him. “Caleb, what are we doing?”

Staring down at her, he wondered the same thing. She was the type of woman he’d vowed to steer clear of, yet there was something about Alyssa Jane Merrick that he couldn’t resist. He wanted to show her where he’d grown up, wanted her to know who he was and what had molded him into the man he’d become, and he wanted to know all about her. And that scared the living hell out of him.

Suddenly needing to put a little space between them in order to figure out what the hell had gotten into him, he kissed her forehead then, releasing her, started for the door. “While you get your things put away and freshen up, I’ll go see what I can scare up for supper.”

As Alyssa watched him leave the room, she sighed heavily. It hadn’t been lost on her that he’d avoided answering her question. Could he be as confused about what was going on between them as she was? What was happening between them?

She certainly wasn’t an expert at affairs of the heart, but it was evident there was something drawing them together. They couldn’t be in the same room for longer than five minutes without being in each other’s arms.

What was there about Caleb Walker that made her forget the lesson she’d learned five years ago at the hands of a man just like him? Hadn’t she suffered enough humiliation when she’d learned that men weren’t above using women to achieve their own goals or advance their careers?

Sitting on the side of the bed, she thought about Wesley Pennington III, the man who’d taught her just how cutthroat the business world could truly be and the lengths that some men were willing to go to in order to get ahead. Handsome and charming, Wesley had swept her off her feet about a year after they’d both started working at the prestigious financial group of Carson, Gottlieb and Howell. And right up until the end of their six-week affair, she hadn’t had a clue that he’d been using her to gain information about a potential client.

But as she mentally compared Caleb to Wesley the weasel, she had to admit there were very few, if any, similarities. Wesley wouldn’t have been caught dead in a pair of jeans and boots, nor would he have chosen to live in a secluded house in a quiet rural area over his ultramodern uptown condo. And that was just scratching the surface of how the two men differed.

Wesley had been a polished sophisticate and tended to act superiorly with anyone below him on the corporate ladder. But Caleb wasn’t anything like that. His casual, down-to-earth personality immediately put everyone at ease and he not only treated those who worked for him as his equals, he seemed to genuinely care about them as well.

That was something she knew firsthand to be beyond Wesley’s capabilities. He didn’t care about anyone but himself and he wasn’t above stepping on those who posed a threat to, or got in the way of, his lofty ambitions. He hadn’t thought twice about using her affections for him to gain information that had led to his obtaining a coveted corporate account and ultimately the promotion that rightly should have been hers. When she’d confronted him about it, he’d readily admitted that he’d only started dating her for the purpose of getting ahead. But the most devastating blow had come when she’d overheard her coworkers gossiping about the whole sordid mess. That’s when she’d decided she had no alternative but to look for another job and had found her present position at Skerritt and Crowe.

But she was certain Caleb would never stoop to that level, would never take credit for her or anyone else’s accomplishments, even if he wasn’t already the head of Skerritt and Crowe. Nor would he publicly humiliate her. On the contrary. He’d come up with the pretend engagement and had her spending the weekend with him because he was trying to squelch the rumors and gossip that she found hurtful.

Sighing, she put the last of her clothes in the dresser drawer, then changed into a pair of baggy camp shorts and a T-shirt. She’d tried every way in the world not to like Caleb. But the truth of the matter was, she trusted him more than she had anyone in a very long time. And whether it was smart or not, she might as well admit it—if she hadn’t already fallen for him, she was well on her way.

“Thank you for a delicious dinner. You’re a very good cook.”

“Not really.” Caleb grinned. “Throwing something on the grill and fire roasting a few vegetables is about the only thing I know how to fix, besides frying bacon and scrambling eggs.”

“Well, I thought it was scrumptious.” Her sweet smile did a real number on his insides. “And I’m glad you suggested we eat out here on the patio.” He watched her look past the pool at the valley below. “The view is absolutely gorgeous.”

He couldn’t agree more; the view was beautiful. But he wasn’t looking at the cedar trees or the valley. The woman seated at the table with him was far prettier than anything he’d ever seen.

Rising to his feet before he did something stupid like take her in his arms and kiss her senseless, he gathered their plates. “I like sitting out here after the sun goes down. Other than an occasional coyote howling, it’s pretty quiet.”

“Let me help with those,” she said, standing up.

He shook his head. “I’ll take care of the cleanup.”

“That’s not fair,” she protested. “You cooked. I should clear the table.”

He started toward the house with the dishes. “While I’m doing this, why don’t you change? I don’t know about you, but I could use some time in the hot tub be-fore I turn in for the night.”

“That does sound wonderful, but are you sure I can’t help you first?”

Damned if she didn’t follow him into the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. He was about two seconds away from kissing her until they both needed CPR or carrying her to his bedroom to make love to her for the rest of the night. But he couldn’t tell her that. She’d probably belt him a good one, then run as hard and fast as she could back to Albuquerque.

“I’ll just put these plates in the dishwasher, then meet you in the hot tub in ten minutes,” he said, surprised that his voice sounded fairly steady. Considering his state of mind and the changes his body was going through at that very moment, he figured it was nothing short of a miracle he could talk at all.

“Okay.” She gave him a smile that caused his blood pressure to shoot up a good fifty points. “But I’m cooking breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal, sweetheart.” He’d agree to just about anything as long as she left the room and let him get a grip on his runaway libido.

But as he watched her walk away, his heart stalled and his body tightened so fast it left him feeling light-headed. Even though her khaki shorts and pink T-shirt looked to be a couple of sizes too big, it couldn’t disguise the sexy sway of her shapely hips or the fact that her long, slender legs looked like they could wrap around a man and take him to heaven.

Caleb closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe. What the hell had he been thinking when he’d suggested they get in the hot tub? If just watching her walk made him hard, what would happen when he saw her in a swimsuit?

The mental image his overactive imagination conjured up made his knees wobble and sweat pop out on his forehead and upper lip. Leaning against the kitchen counter for support, he groaned. How on God’s green earth was he going to keep his hands to himself for the next two days?

When the phone rang, he was grateful to whoever was on the other end of the line for interrupting his disturbing thoughts. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, do you want to tell me what I did?”

“Hey, Hunter.” Once he and his brothers had learned about each other, they’d all, by unspoken agreement, stayed in touch. And Caleb was happy with the bond they were forming.

“What’s up with answering the phone the way you did?”

“Just thinking out loud,” Caleb said, hoping his oldest brother forgot about his slip of the tongue.

“How’s the financial world? Any new advice on how I can turn my savings account into a fortune?”

“If you want to build your money, the best advice I can give you at this point is to leave it where it’s at,” Caleb said dryly.

Hunter snorted. “You sound about as sure of yourself at this financial stuff as I feel about running an air-ambulance service.”

Caleb smiled. “How’s the EMT course going?”

There was a pause before Hunter finally answered. “I’ve been in that damned class for almost two weeks and I still get light-headed whenever I see a needle.”

“At least you’ve stopped passing out at the sight of them,” Caleb said, laughing.

“Just barely.” Obviously wanting to change the subject, Hunter asked, “Are you going to attend Emerald’s birthday party at the end of the month?”

It was Caleb’s turn to snort. “I don’t think we’ve been given a lot of choice about going. The invitation read more like a summons than a request to help her celebrate her seventy-sixth birthday.”

“It sounds like the one I got.” Hunter laughed humorlessly. “I knew that old gal was going to yank our chains every chance she got.”

“Have you talked to Nick lately?” Caleb asked.

“He called me last night and suggested we all meet for a beer before we attend Emerald’s party.”

“That’s a good idea.” Caleb chuckled. “Maybe if we have a buzz going, it’ll make the evening more tolerable.”

“I like the way you think.”

Finalizing plans to meet before the party, Caleb hung up and headed for his bedroom to change. He was looking forward to seeing Nick and Hunter again. And his only regret about finding out that he had two brothers was that he hadn’t learned of their existence sooner.

But he really had no room to complain. He’d had a great childhood with the love and guidance of his maternal grandparents and a mother who had been totally devoted to raising him the right way. He’d asked who his father was a few times, but his mother would only smile and tell him to be patient—that one day he’d learn all about the man. After a while he’d given up asking, and if he’d missed having a father, Caleb couldn’t ever remember it. His grandfather had taught him everything he’d needed to know, from how to tie a fishing lure to what it meant to be a good, honest man.

But as he pulled on a pair of gym shorts, he decided he couldn’t say he’d missed knowing his manipulative paternal grandmother. No matter what she said about not meddling in their lives back then or the way they ran the businesses she’d given them now, he had a feeling she still had their every move under surveillance and would have no problem stepping in to take over if she felt it was warranted.

But when Caleb opened the French doors to step out onto the patio and spotted Alyssa standing by the hot tub, his grievances with Emerald Larson were quickly forgotten. Damn, but Alyssa looked good. Her black one-piece bathing suit clung to her body and enhanced all the curves that he’d been fantasizing about ever since walking into her office the day he’d arrived to take over the financial firm.

He swallowed hard. He’d been right about her legs, too. They were long, sleek and perfect for holding a man close while he made love to her.

“I’m sorry.” Walking over to her, he had to clear his suddenly dry throat. “It took longer than I planned. One of my brothers called.”

“I heard the phone ring.” She smiled wistfully. “It must be nice to have siblings.”

“You’re an only child?” He wasn’t ready to tell her that a little less than a month ago, he hadn’t even known his brothers existed.

Nodding, she took off her glasses and, laying them on a nearby chair, started to climb the steps to get into the hot tub. “I always wanted a brother or sister to share memories with, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Caleb took hold of her arm to help steady her as she stepped into the bubbling water, but the second his fingers touched her satiny skin, a jolt of electric current zinged straight up his arm and exploded in the pit of his belly. Climbing into the hot tub on shaky legs, he sat down beside her and tried to think of what they’d been talking about.

“I, uh, haven’t always been close with my two brothers.”

“Is there a big age difference between you?” she asked, sounding genuinely interested.

“No, we’re all about the same age.” He knew he was walking a fine line, but he wanted to be as truthful with her as possible. “We had the same father, but different mothers.” Deciding it was time to change the subject be-fore he revealed more than he intended, he smiled. “Could you tell me something, Alyssa?”

“It depends on the question and whether or not I know the answer,” she said, looking a little apprehensive.

“Why do you go by your initials at work, instead of your given name?” He’d wanted to know the answer since reviewing her personnel file. “It’s very pretty.” Like you.

She shrugged one slender shoulder. “That’s what my father always called me. I think it was his way of pretending I was the son he always wanted, but never had.”

Reaching out, Caleb traced his index finger along her porcelain cheek. No matter what kind of hell he’d have to go through, he couldn’t seem to stop touching her. “I’m sure he loves you more than you realize, sweetheart.”

She remained silent for several long moments before nodding. “I suppose it was possible that he cared for me, but it’s something I’ll never know. He died on a mission in the Middle East during my junior year in college.”

Caleb felt like a complete jerk for bringing up an obviously painful subject. Without thinking twice, he lifted her onto his lap and did his best to ignore how her shapely bottom felt pressed to his rapidly hardening body.

She stared at him for several long seconds. “Caleb, this isn’t a good idea.”

“Hush.” Cradling her to his chest, he held her close as the water bubbled around them. He tried to tell himself that he was offering her comfort, but the truth was she felt so right in his arms, he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. “I’m sorry, Alyssa. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“It’s all right.” He felt her begin to relax against him. “I’ve never had any illusions about it. My father and I didn’t have a great relationship.”

He kissed her temple. “What about your mom? Are you close to her?”

“Mother passed away when I was eight.” She sighed. “That’s when I started attending school at the Marsden Academy for Girls.”

“Your dad sent you to a boarding school?” Anger burned at his gut. How could Merrick have done that to his only child? Caleb could only imagine how lonely and scared she must have been. At that moment, he despised the man for abandoning her when she’d obviously needed him most.

“Actually, Dad didn’t have a lot of choice about sending me to Marsden,” she said softly. “He was a navy SEAL and never knew when his team would be called out on a mission.”

“Couldn’t you have stayed with a relative?”

He wondered why her grandparents hadn’t stepped forward to take her in. There was no way in hell his grandparents would have ever turned their grandchild away. They’d stood by his mother when she’d found herself pregnant and alone, and had helped her raise him, even though it hadn’t been as socially acceptable then as it was now for a single woman to have a child.

Alyssa shook her head. “I’ve never even met my grandparents. My dad was raised in the foster-care system and my maternal grandparents didn’t think he was good enough for their only child. When my mom eloped with him on graduation night, her parents more or less disowned her.”

Alyssa had no idea why she was telling Caleb about her family or, more accurately, her lack of one. Normally, she didn’t share any details about herself with anyone. But he was easy to talk to and his compassion made her feel at ease and free to discuss it for the first time in years.

“What about you?” she asked, enjoying the feel of his wide bare chest against her arm. “What was your childhood like?”

“It was pretty average,” he said, shrugging. “I grew up on a farm in central Tennessee—”

“If you hadn’t told me before that you were from the South, I’d have never known,” she said dryly.

He chuckled. “You can take the boy out of the South, but you can’t take the Southern accent out of the boy.”

“Something like that,” she said, laughing. Wanting to hear more about his childhood, she asked, “What was it like growing up on a farm?”

“I guess it was pretty much like growing up anywhere else,” he said, thoughtfully. “I did most of the things other kids my age did—played Little League baseball, helped Grandpa around the farm and went skinny-dipping in the creek every chance I got.” His mischievous grin curled her toes. “Still do.”

Her insides fluttered. “You swim in the nude?”

He nodded. “I don’t even own a pair of swim trunks. The only reason I’m wearing gym shorts now is to protect your tender sensibilities.”

She suddenly felt a warmth course through her that had nothing to do with being in the hot tub. “I’ve never gone swimming without a suit.”

His grin caused her to feel as if the water temperature rose a good ten degrees. “You should give it a try sometime.”

She’d never been good at sexy banter and, unable to think of a suitable comeback, she asked, “Where did you go to school?”

His muscles tensed slightly before he answered. “No private academies for me. I went to public schools.”

“University, too?”

“There’s no other team like the University of Tennessee Vols.”

“Vols?”

“Short for Volunteers,” he said, smiling. He pulled her closer. “But I don’t want to discuss schools or sports teams right now.” He brushed his lips over hers as he slid his finger under one of the straps of her swimsuit. “Do you have any idea how great you look in this little black number?”

She’d purposely ignored the fact that she was still sitting on his lap, but suddenly several things became quite apparent. They were alone in the semidarkness; their water-slick bodies were pressed together and his muscular thighs under her bottom weren’t the only things that were hard.

Her eyes widened and a breathtaking charge of need filled every cell in her being. “I think… I’ll move over to the seat.”

“I like you right where you are.” With one arm around her waist, he held her in place as he slid his hand from her shoulder down her upper arm, taking her swimsuit strap with him. “Your skin feels like silk, Alyssa.”

Desire so hot she felt scorched by its intensity washed over her and, closing her eyes, she sighed. “This is insanity.”

“Do you want me to stop?” he asked, his voice so low and intimate it caused goose bumps to shimmer over her skin.

God help her, but she didn’t want him to stop. She wanted him to kiss and hold her. She wanted to feel his strong hands caressing her body. And if she was really honest with herself, that’s what she’d wanted since their trip to Roswell.

She shook her head as she opened her eyes to meet his questioning gaze. “That’s what’s insane. I don’t want you to stop. I should. But I don’t. And that’s what’s so confusing. I’ve never been the type of person to throw caution to the wind.” A shiver streaked up her spine when he cupped her cheek with his palm and she had to take in some much-needed air before she could finish. “But being with you, I find that I don’t want to analyze every move I make. I don’t want to be sensible. And living for the moment suddenly sounds so very tempting.”

“It’s up to you, Alyssa. All you have to do is tell me what you want and I promise to respect your wishes.” He smiled. “But if it’s left up to me, I’ll take this suit off of you and show you just what temptation is all about.”

His sexy drawl made her insides hum and all of her secret places pulse with a hunger stronger than any-thing she’d ever experienced. “I want you to make me feel alive. I want you to touch me and… ” She took a deep breath. “More.”